Re: [Harp-L] playing in a band setting/jamming

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Peter Wright wrote:
> I'm thinking it may be another 3 years before I'm ready for my 
> first jam.  I think "improvisation" is a complete misnomer.

The best thing about jams is that no one expects it to be perfect.  
There's no such thing as a mistake.  Some things work and some thing 
don't.  Some part of what each person plays is better than other 
parts.  The cool part for everyone is when it comes together.  Jams 
provide opportunities for this to happen.  I've been involved in 
very few jams that didn't produce *some* cool results.  Those were 
when everyone was just listening to themselves play and not leaving 
lots of space for the others.  

I grew up listening to bands like the Allman Brothers, who were 
infamous for songs like "Mountain Jam", which is a jam on the 
tune "First There is a Mountain", that went on for two complete 
sides of the original vinyl album, more than 30 minutes.  The entire 
two record set of "Eat a Peach" contained a scant nine songs, and 
their prior double live release, "Live at the Filmore East" had only 
seven, including a 23-minute version of "Whipping Post"!  It's a 
little taxing to listen to now (not under the influence), but the 
dynamics, the mix of grooves and themes, is a great study in 
jamming.  It was easy for me to transistion to Paul Butterfield-
style playing, because it has a similar improvisational feel.

-tim

Tim Moyer
Working Man's Harps
http://www.workingmansharps.com/